Under-Construction
by empurple
Summary: Each action has an equal and opposite reaction; in a world where our choices give bearing, the future is under construction. Who will you choose? Naturally, each one comes with their own charms. Features Zen, Yoosung (?) Jumin, 707, and potentially, V. Warnings: innuendos, jealousy, and maybe some heated foreplay.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is a repost! I took it down because I didn't feel like it defined what I wanted to say, so I made very minor edits and brought it back as what I meant to describe.

It's definitely been a while since the last fanfic that I've written. Anyone who's ever read my profile can tell I had been into a lot of anime, Hetalia being one of my most-written for (although it isn't my favourite show out there). This app is something I've downloaded right after a rather harsh break-up and Zen's massive charm is what got me through.

I guess I'm thanking the manufacturers and producers, Cheritz, for creating this. In return, I offer them this fanfic. I hope all fans of this game will enjoy it.

Warning: For the most part, the username I used shall be the alias of the main character for this fanfic. I'm using her default characteristics as an avatar instead of the canon (brown hair, kind, etc.) of the game. I'll be posting one from every route, except Jaehee (because I am loyal and I only love one girl). Again, thank you very much.

* * *

 **Under-Construction**

 _Surreal_.

That was what she wanted to call the entire scenario. She just picked it up from the app store, nothing new, right? It was suggested to her by the app store itself after her countless downloads (and deletes, of course) of several dating apps that were never really her thing. She wasn't the type to build relationships online, and each one she got seemed a lot more sketchy than the last. So when a mysterious 'Unknown' in her messaging app told her to go see an apartment in one of the better-looking places in town, she went in for a deep dive – besides… She wanted to prove she had an adventurous side.

But Arisa Elios didn't ask for this.

She'd stayed in Korea after teaching English for so long but found herself bunked after all her tutorials. She was burnt-out. She needed a break. She needed time for herself. So she took her first ever indefinite leave, and took a deep breath to just see Korea after her big leap. After all, she was a writer at heart: and writers are simply a sum of their experiences. And when this app brought her to a few of the most well-known people in Korea… It definitely flustered her.

Especially when musical actor Hyun Ryu (a.k.a Zen) began to take an interest in her, it was a strange experience.

At the beginning, it was nothing much. She knew her task was to simply help them answer a few emails (the weirdest kind), get them to get guests for a party, and be a present figure. She had her own, small apartment but after 707 saying she needed to stay, she began to slowly bring a few small things into Rika's apartment, where she was asked to work. They were all almost equal in contacting her, until Zen decided to bring things a notch up.

He was sensible – she couldn't deny it. And as much as it initially annoyed her how narcissistic he was, she knew that even she couldn't deny he was drop-dead gorgeous either. As brazen as he made himself sound like, he was genuinely passionate and caring. And when she realized she shared the same sentiments on the fifth day, something heavy fell into the pit of her stomach.

" _Talking to you makes me feel better._ "

She used to have students. All she used to do was talk things through events, hardships, even instructions on how to get to the nearest bathroom. But other than that, she had no-one. She much preferred the company of her messy room, several notebooks of drafts, a steaming cup of coffee, and the smart-phone she never let out of her grasp. She didn't know if that made her feel better, but her heart skipped a beat at his words.

Zen made her feel involved.

Jaehee had started to become a close acquaintance – and since she knew nobody except her tutees – it was nice to talk to someone she could relate with. She knew how Jaehee felt about Zen, and even when Arisa had mentioned her feelings…

She knew it deep down: Jaehee was right.

However, she really couldn't help herself. She was even willing to send Jaehee to Zen, just to get him out of that funk. But Jumin was insistent. And deep inside, she knew it to be true: _Zen wanted to see her._ And Arisa wasn't going to refuse the offer to see the person she'd been clamouring for these last few days.

"We're here, ma'am."

Arisa drew her deepest breath, then took a step out.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Arisa sat in the living room of his house a little awkwardly. She didn't want to move from where he had left her.

The place itself wasn't too big. It was a simple apartment with a single room, which she assumed would be Zen's bedroom. A bathroom should be inside, since she could see no other place for it elsewhere. The room was kept mostly neat, except from a few scattered scripts here and there. She could see a schedule on the fridge, with a picture pinned safely right next to it. She recalled it as the photo V took for Zen. He said it lifted his spirits.

"Arisa?"

She jumped a bit, not knowing he had returned. Zen chuckled, "So jumpy. What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I was just waiting for you to get ready." She looked up at him. Even in a simple black shirt and jeans, he was strangely enchanting to look at. But she knew he didn't need telling twice.

He sat down next to her, "You know… I don't want to send you back." He admitted.

She thought about what she was going to say, but she looked him in the eyes and said the first thing off the top of her head, "I don't want to leave either."

"We're still going to the grocery!" he exclaimed happily, as though it would take forever, and they would have forever, "Don't give me that."

She chuckled. It was almost as though nothing could go wrong.

And so she pushed through the aisles with their shopping cart, and even though he was using crutches to walk around, Zen looked like he was the happiest man on earth, "My last girlfriend didn't even want to be seen with me~" he said, chuckling.

"What are you talking about?" Arisa asked, taking a few snacks from an aisle, "I don't believe that."

"I was still a small name then. Well, _smaller_." He said. She knew his humility was as genuine as possible. He wasn't as self-absorbed as he made himself to be, "And well… She was already getting into the big leagues. She danced like fire. Even I couldn't keep up with her…" He shrugged, "But she wanted someone who can bring her where she wants and I… I couldn't be that."

"Zen…" she said slowly. She felt the same pang in her heart: _what if she couldn't do that for Zen?_ After all, she just quit teaching for what should be a quick vacation. Everything still felt like an odd dream to her. She worried that it was.

He laughed a little at the distraught look on her face, "Yeah, I began to smoke at around that time. I was in a really bad place, but I had to do something for myself, you know?" he looked at her with all honesty, "All I had was myself back then."

"Not anymore." Her voice came out a little meeker than she expected, but Zen's eyes lit up.

"Oh, honey~" He teased a little, making her flush and grip the handles of their cart a little tighter, "Don't worry, you've already done enough in the short time we've had~"

"Yeah, well, I want to do more." She said simply.

It took her a while to realize that Zen had stopped walking and was now a few paces behind her. She turned and was about to call out to him, but was shocked to find him staring at her like he had won the lottery, "Z-Zen?"

"Oh, my love," he began, looking into her eyes, "Don't just say things like that. I need to be prepared." Arisa's heart skipped a beat, and he chuckled, "Oh no… You make me so happy. I honestly don't know what to do."

She flushed, "Just… Come on. Let's get some coffee and tea for your place. I'll… I'll make you dinner."

"You cook too?" He asked, beaming, "Aah~ I'm so happy right now."

After they paid their groceries (Zen insisted on footing everything, despite Arisa taking some for herself) she helped carry most of them as they walked back to his apartment. She felt bad for Jumin's driver: Zen didn't seem to want to let her go anytime soon. And to be honest, she didn't want to leave.

He insisted on making dinner too, but Arisa refused. He was proud that he could at least cook, but she wanted to do something for him. ("You're so cute~ Ah! Okay, fine." He eventually conceded.) She made him some pasta and he practiced lines around her in the kitchen. She was used to some background noise as an effect of her job – but she couldn't help herself when she would tell him how some lines would be better said.

"… You know your thing too~ I'm glad you can help me." Zen chuckled a bit, before watching her fiddle on her smartphone, "… Who's that?" He asked a little quieter.

She noted the change in his voice, "It's one of the guests. He's asking about wine~" she smiled a bit. Even she could tell that Zen was feeling possessive.

"Oh~" he seemed to relax, "You seem used to that. You're doing so many things all at the same time, that's cool~" He leaned against the counter, "You might as well apply to be my manager~" He joked.

Arisa shrugged, "I'm a teacher." She explained. _Well, she used to be_. "And we do everything: plan what to teach, decorate the classroom, sing, dance… And even act. I come to school sad and homesick sometimes, but I show up and smile inside my classroom because there is nowhere else for me to be."

"Homesick?" he asked, brows furrowed, "Where are you from?"

"It doesn't matter," she brushed off the question to mix the pasta, "I can't go back. I only talk to my mother. She seems to be the only one all right with where I am in life." She said.

To this, Zen chuckled, "Well… We're more alike than I expected, then." A small smile tugged at his lips, "I can't go back either. Why don't you just stay with me, instead, hm?"

And with the look on his face, Arisa wanted to say yes.

She very badly wanted to say yes.

* * *

She needed to take a deep breath in when she went into the bathroom.

 _This can't be happening_. She said to herself, but even when she splashed her face with water, everything was still there: she was about to go out into Zen's simple bedroom, with a bed just barely enough for two. And outside that room, Zen would still be waiting.

She liked him. Oh, why was she still lying? _She had fallen in love with him_. She was scared. She was scared, but she trusted Zen like she'd never trusted anyone before.

Because she honestly never did trust anyone that much before – why was it?

 _What was it about Hyun?_

She sighed and leaned against the door of the bathroom. Zen would know something was up since she was taking too long, but she couldn't stop herself. She was the type to run away from her problems – almost literally. And that was why she was there to begin with, wasn't it? She ran away from home, because being a teacher was not enough for her family. Her mother had been the only one to agree. She could become a doctor, her family knew she was smart enough to be one, but she refused because she liked children, and being with them made her happy.

She moved to that area to teach English, and stayed in a day-care during weekends, and brought nothing of her past with her. She knew nobody. She was friends with nobody. She was simply acquainted with all those she worked with, but none of them drew close enough for her to call a 'friend'. Besides… She kept everyone at arms-length. She knew what it meant to give everything to someone. It gave them the power to hurt you. She didn't know if she had enough of her heart to let someone hold it for her, and trust them to not break it anymore.

But Zen trusted her with his. And she could see how much of a positive change she was to him. She was scared to show him that vulnerability, that she wasn't the person he thought she was.

He had faith in her, though. To Arisa, that was all that mattered.

So, she walked back out, and he beamed at the sight of her.

"Oh, you're finally out." He said, "I was just talking to Seven on the messenger. He said he found you some mummy he wanted to invite. He's so weird." He rolled his eyes, "But do you want to invite it?"

She shrugged and smiled, "Sure~"

He laughed a little, "You're a funny thing too, aren't you?" he looked at her, then at the door, "I don't want you to go yet. It's getting late. Maybe you should stay a little longer."

There was a sense of longing in how he said it. Before she could stop herself, she'd answered, "If that's what you want."

"Yes. Stay a little longer." He chuckled, "It'll be all right. I promise I won't do anything weird. I just… It's getting late and I'd feel more comfortable if you stayed the night and left early tomorrow morning. Come on. I wanted to show you something."

* * *

Just when she thought that there was nothing more that Zen could do to make her fall in love with him more, trouble began to rise, and who better was it to have enough sense to sweep her away than Zen?

At first, it was 707 panicking… Well, he was the one who placed the bomb in the apartment to begin with, so surely, he should have known that it wouldn't be advised to bring in a girl to live inside the apartment. However, Jaehee was never more correct than when she mentioned that Arisa's safety was pivotal to all of them – and not just for the RFA's party.

Later that day, she was already grateful at the very notion of the bomb being disabled, but who would have known that someone would come crashing into the window? (Yes, she thought it impossible as well since she the apartment was on the fourteenth floor, but _ces't la vie_.) The man was of a lean built, but with bleached hair; he seemed young, and there were bags under his eyes. She was sure this was the 'Unknown' who had led her to the apartment to begin with.

"Arisa!"

 _That voice!_

"Oh? It seems someone knows the password to the apartment?"

She had never been more terrified in her entire life. It took every ounce of her problem-solving skills to even consider biting the man's hand and running into the safety of Zen's arms.

So when she emerged from his bathroom a couple of minutes later, she saw him deliberately tossing his smartphone across the bed before he looked at her in worry, "Arisa… Are you okay?"

It was all she could do to nod.

He made a space for her on the bed, and she sat down timidly. She was in one of his button-up shirts, and she folded up the sleeves because they were much too long. She was wearing one of his old boxer shorts for good measure. She had thought enough ahead to have left a small emergency kit the last time she had been at Zen's house, but she didn't think she needed to use it so soon. Beside her, she was sure he was fuming, "H-Hey. Don't be mad at them anymore. I'm safe, thanks to you."

He sighed and pulled her close to him with one arm, "Just thinking about it makes me angry… How he already had you in his arms… What if I wasn't there?"

She shook her head, "But you were. You don't have to think about that anymore."

He nodded, but looked at her reluctantly. Then, with a bright flush staining his cheeks, he leaned in to give her a kiss. He was gentle, and warm. He felt a lot like home. He gently cupped her face in his hands, and hers managed to snake its way against his chest, and around his neck. She could feel herself getting lost as he deepened the kiss, and she could feel his tongue swirling in her mouth, almost begging her for more. Soon, she could feel her head against the pillows, and when Zen pulled away, they were gasping for air.

It took a few moments before he looked at her, debating what would happen next, before, "… I'm sorry."

He pulled away, and stood up, "I… I can't stay here tonight. Let me just-"

"Zen!"

Her hands found the hem of his shirt, and she looked at him, terrified, "W-Where… Where are you going?"

He paused, cursed whatever god existed, then turned to her, "I… I don't know if I can control myself with you, Arisa." He said shortly, "I don't want to take advantage of you, right now. I'm a guy." He added, as though men were animalistic creatures by nature, "Looking at you right now…" A small, dangerous smile played upon his lips, "There are a thousand things I want to do. But I want you to feel safe."

"I… I'm scared." She admitted. She had been headstrong with him too long, and it was the first time she had ever shown her vulnerability, "But I feel safe with you, no matter what you think. Please don't leave me alone tonight."

"You want me to stay in bed with you?" he asked worriedly.

"I trust you." She said, "And… And besides…

" _I promised that I'd take responsibility, right?_ "

Zen's bed was just enough for the both of them. The morning after, she found herself resting against his chest, and even though he promised that he would leave her and sleep on the couch after she had fallen asleep, it seemed that he couldn't, seeing as he had his arms protectively around her. Even when she tried to pull away, he wouldn't let her.

"No… Don't go." He said sleepily, his voice breathless.

"Hyun." She said his real name, causing his lips to tug into a small smile, "I… I really need to use the bathroom."

Once they were wide awake, they spent most of the morning reassuring the other RFA Members that she was indeed all right, even though Jumin would repeatedly say that he was against a man and a woman living together before marriage.

"They really have no say, seeing as they weren't the one who ran to save you." Zen huffed as he leaned against the counter while Arisa, who was toasting bread for them both, chuckled.

But it was truly the party that stunned her. Not just the place that Jaehee wonderfully had decorated, nor the people who were either adorably kind like Yoosung, or left her stars-truck like Jumin, but the idea of something like that existing. It invited people from practically everywhere, and the integration of culture, ideas and global challenges met all under one roof. She didn't think she did quite as much as a good job, but people shook her hand and congratulated her. She was already flustered enough as it is.

So, to be completely honest, she froze when Zen called for her.

She could hear Yoosung mumbling about what to do, and Jumin, although trying to see a way out of what was happening, gave her a soft push, "If you don't go, then what he just said will seem false."

Arisa gulped. She wasn't used to the spotlight. But the crowd made space for her as she walked towards him, and Zen had his arm extended, waiting for her to take it. _This isn't real… It can't be. It must be too good to be true_. But amidst the murmurs of _"Who the hell is that?"_ and _"She looks so… ordinary,"_ all she could do was look at him – she only looked at the graceful, picturesque form of Hyun Ryu. He was waiting for her. He was waiting for nobody else but her. And when she took his hand, he swiftly pressed their bodies close, and he announced over all the other voices that there was nobody else in the world for him, but her.

"I just told the entire world how much I love you." He said, tucking a few stray curls of her hair as he pulled her even closer.

As he declared his love, Arisa definitely thought it was a dream.

But Zen's nearing face, and closing eyes, and the tingling sensation of his eyelashes brushing against her as he gave her one more kiss told her otherwise.

* * *

 **A/N:** I am debating whether to create a rated M chapter for each character. Again, I'm doing one for Zen, Yoosung, Jumin and potentially, 707. If all goes well and I am still inspired, probably V.

 **Update:** I'll most probably do Jumin first since I liked him almost as much as Zen.


	2. Chapter 15

**Chapter 1.5**

The front door opened and Arisa's head peeked out from the hall to see a bright, spectacled, red-head come in.

"Where do you want these boxes?"

She beamed, "You can drop them inside the bedroom, right next to the bed. Thanks for helping me move in, Seven."

There were big changes in her life.

Since getting hacked from Rika's apartment, Zen decided to drag her into his life for good, and she began to live in his apartment (despite Jumin's several complaints regarding two people living in a house before marriage). It's been only two months since, which meant that her belongings were scattered from her old place, to Rika's apartment, to Zen's.

However, when Jumin offered for her to be Zen's manager, everything fell into place.

It meant that she had a very good reason to be with him 24/7. It also meant that she was definitely not looking back at her old life anymore. And it meant that she was in charge of cleaning up the mess in RFA, but specifically Zen's mess. She wouldn't have it any other way, though. She genuinely loved him – narcissism and all.

He grinned, then nodded, "Oh come on, it's the least I could do." He said, smiling brightly, "Besides, after I helped you close up Rika's apartment so we can move the classified information someplace safer, we needed to get your place sorted out anyway. How's living with Zen?"

"It's been… the same, really." She said, looking up from stacking a cupboard, "It's kind of funny to see him at home and at work. Although," she laughed a little, "He does get upset when I need to do some planning for RFA and he needs to go to a shoot or a script-reading without me."

The hacker emerged from the inner room with a grin, "Do you miss what you used to do?" He asked with a hint of knowledge.

She turned and raised an eyebrow at him, "Luciel…"

"What?" he chuckled, then looked at the door. Something told her that he wanted to escape the situation, because it gave him similar feelings, but he looked back at her, "You know… I can't stay."

"I know." She nodded, "The Defender of Justice needs to go home and save the world!" She laughed a bit. He laughed as well.

"Why…?" The question got stuck in his throat, but he simply shook his head, "No… Nevermind."

Her brows furrowed, but she looked at him, "What do you mean?"

There was a hint of sadness in his smile, but nonetheless, he repeated his early statement, "I can't stay."

Arisa nodded, then wrapped her arms around him, "Thanks for helping me move into Zen's place."

He pulled away a bit, then looked into her eyes. Behind his glasses, she found him studying her, "… Seven?"

"I still wonder," he said, smiling a bit, "What would have happened if it had been me?"

She frowned, and she didn't understand, "… What?"

Before he could answer, there was a snarl from the door, "Seven!"

They both turned, but did not release each other. Zen was standing at the door, and he glared at the hacker, who only blinked in wonder.

"Zen? You're home-!" Arisa was about to run to him when he strode forward to take her.

"Get your hands off her!" And the albino pushed his friend away, taking Arisa's hand protectively, pulling her into his arms. She restrained a bit of a chuckle, especially since Seven looked very surprised.

"Zen, come on, we were just-"

"I don't care." Zen said in a dangerously low tone, eyes still narrowing at his friend, "Good-bye, Seven."

Seven blinked at first, then released a strained chuckle, looking at Arisa, who could only smile wryly. They both knew that Zen was possessive, "… Heh. I'll see you around, then, Arisa."

Zen waited until the red-headed hacker was gone, until he released the girl and pushed her away slightly, "Z-Zen?"

"Did you like it?" he asked, crimson eyes refusing to face her.

She looked more confused than ever, "What?"

"Did you like it?!" He demanded louder, looking at her with pain and anger in his eyes, "Did you like his arms around you like that? Did you like it so much that you couldn't let go?"

She released a small sigh.

Once she was able to meet all the members of the RFA, she began to establish real relationships, real friendships with them. For the most part, Yoosung was her everyday guide – he would text her every day, ask her how her day was, and he was always the first one to ever find out about anything that was happening between her and Zen. He was good at keeping secrets, even if he gave out a lot of hints. Jaehee was more of her best friend at work: they often had coffee during breaks, worked together until past midnight, and she had been the only person Jaehee ever allowed to stay over at her place. (Arisa believes she still left a towel and her missing sock in Jaehee's apartment.) Jumin was like a father to her – that, or a big brother. He was protective in a way that he was defensive about Zen's intentions, _always_ , but he would allow the actor to still do them. That one time that Arisa was crying in the RFA meeting room because Zen had promised to have a meal with her and didn't come was the first time Jumin ever stepped into their relationship (she was upset because she had already told him before-hand that he didn't have to, he insisted, she expected him to come, and he called after being late for two hours that he couldn't arrive – which was something she had already said would happen in the first place). It was resolved when Zen found Arisa in Jumin's penthouse, petting Elizabeth the 3rd for comfort, and needing to explain himself to Jumin, complete with a bouquet of flowers, chocolate, and a promise to be "a better man" (Jumin acted very much the part of a strict father, and Zen was sneezing every four or five words; Arisa made sure to give him anti-histamines and took care of him for the next three days until his allergy subsided – and he loved every bit of the attention).

Her relationship with 707 was very different, though.

She knew a few of his secrets, like his favourite games, a few of his stories, but never enough to tell her the complete truth. It seemed that 707 opened up to her more than any of the others. She was the first person he called on his small, mental-breakdowns, though they were always just throwing jokes around whenever they were together in person. However, she sometimes spends time with Seven for classified information, since she now also holds a few of them. And more than all the others, Zen had begun to be more apprehensive of her spending time with 707, even though neither of them do anything beyond work.

Arisa knew that, sometimes, even Zen gets jealous.

Even though (he should know that) there's nothing to be jealous about. It's not like she could stop him.

Sometimes, she found it endearing.

"Zen, you know that it isn't that," she said slowly, nearing him, "You know that Seven's just our friend. I just understand his pain more than other people sometimes."

" _Do you want to take it off?"_

She clenched her fists. She could feel the engagement ring that Zen had only bought a week before, when he made a very public announcement of asking for her hand in marriage. She knew where he was coming from, and even the beautiful Zen thinks he could be replaced in her heart.

"I would never." She said softly, smiling a bit.

Zen looked at her, the pain in his eyes fading but he pulled her close, "That's right… 'Cause I'm your only one, right?"

"You know that already." She said, nuzzling him a bit.

"No, I don't." He teased, speaking against her lips so that they brushed together as they talked. He smirked. He was almost pressing his entire body against her. She could tell there was something more that he wanted, "Tell me…

" _Tell me more."_

* * *

Soon, they were in their bedroom, the boxes that were supposed to be fixed were upturned, and several of her belongings were scattered across the floor.

Zen pushed her straight into their pillows and wasted no time in pushing his hands up her shirt as they exchanged heated, sloppy kisses. Arisa wasn't used to this version of Zen. He had never seen him quite so _angry_ even at just the idea of someone else holding her. He seemed to want to leave his mark on her in every place that he could.

"H-Hyun…" she moaned into his kisses, making him groan in excitement.

"N-No, don't talk. Let me do this." He said, eyes straight into hers as he unbuttoned her shirt. He placed a trail of kisses against her neck, and soon, she found her hands in his hair, with the ponytail he usually kept turning into a bit of a mess.

"A-Ah… P-Please…" she begged.

He smirked at her, before he kissed her again, this time, making sure that his tongue tasted the caverns of her mouth, and his hands tracing the sides of her body, before finding their way to her chest where, in one click, he had unclipped her bra, "Y-You're wearing the one with the clip at the front."

"You bought it." She said. Her hands were about to reach for his pants, but he took them quite forcefully, then pinned them above her head.

"Sorry. Not this time." He murmured against her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"Tonight… I'm going to make sure you know you are mine."

* * *

As she lay in their bathtub a few hours later, Arisa sighed.

Zen was _definitely_ jealous. He didn't hold back in his bites, both literally and figuratively.

She gently caressed a part of her neck that the actor had suckled, which was becoming painful and tender. She figured it would bruise, and she was sure that Jumin would once again give Zen a lecture on how to treat her properly – the father that he was. She was too busy trying to figure out what to do with the markings on her body that she didn't hear the door open.

"L-Love? C-Can I join you?"

She looked up and when the shower curtain drew back, Zen came in, also half-naked, prepared for a bath. He had his face away from her, but his eyes were livid, puffy from crying, "Of course." She said, making room and standing.

"Zen… What's wrong?" She asked, hands cupping his face and wiping away the tears.

The twenty-five year old whimpered, then wrapped his arms around her.

"I… I'm so sorry." He said, tightening his hold around her, "I… I was so rough on you today. I just… When I think about you, when I think of how amazing you are, and I imagine that someone else could have you…" He cried a little more, burying his head in her shoulder, "I love you so much. I'm so sorry. I thought you would leave me. I thought, there might be a chance that you might've wanted Seven more than me. And I… I'll be back to having nothing."

She already knew this part.

For all that he pretends to be, Zen wasn't a narcissist that everyone made him to be. The façade comes falling down when it came to her. All his insecurities about himself, all the feelings he repressed, all the things that had been engrained in his skull since he was a child resurfaced. He told her that his mother used to hit him when he talked about his appearance. He got sent to sleep without dinner if he accepted gifts for free. He was almost used to having nobody because he believed he deserved it.

"Hyun."

Her voice came softly, and it made the older man lift his head from her shoulders. She smiled warmly, chuckling a bit as she brushed away his hair from his face, "Silly Hyun. I would never – ever – leave you."

His eyes turned to her amber-colored ones, seeking affirmation, "You won't?"

She kissed the tip of his nose, making him chuckle lightly, "Of course not. I agreed to marry you." The thought made his grin widen, "And I will never back down from that. I love you to the edge of the earth, and beyond. And on the day I say 'I do', and have you for myself in mind, body and spirit, I only put on paper what we already share."

Finally, he laughed a bit and kissed her, "My God, I love you."

"I love you, Hyun," she said softly, "And that will never change. A-And besides…" She flushed a bit, "I… I kind of like it when we go rough."

There was a short period of silence.

"Honey," he started to say, "I hope you didn't forget I'm still undressed under this towel."

She had a feeling he would say that.

* * *

Needless to say, they were an hour late for their meeting with Jumin at one of the more expensive, intercontinental buffets around town.

"You're late."

The comment was immediately met by a scowl on the albino's part, "If you didn't want to, you could've left."

Arisa sighed. Zen was letting his mouth run again. She took the actor's hand, gave it a small squeeze, then turned to Jumin, "What he means to say is that we're sorry we're late." She said, "Thanks for waiting for us, Jumin. Zen and I kind of had to resolve some things before we got here, so I forgot to call or text you that we'll be late."

He sighed, then simply walked them to their table, handing her a menu, "It's not like I'm not used to him being late all the time. Please tell me you took a proper ride here."

"We drove on the-"

"If you know how to drive, Arisa, I suggest you take the car."

She exchanged glances with Zen. They did have a company car for Zen's use, and Arisa did drive them around. But tonight, he wanted to take her the way they would when they were alone. "It's fine." She insisted.

Jumin decided to drop the topic, and made them sit at their table.

Zen pulled out the chair for her, got her to sit before taking his own seat. Jumin continued to eye him like a hawk. This time, Arisa decided to ignore his death-glares.

"Are you taking your usual, Jumin?" she asked.

"Yes." Jumin could see something was amiss.

"Then I'll take something simple." She turned to her beau, who could only gulp at the menu, "Hyun… You said you've been looking for seafood. They have some Singaporean food here, I like Seafood Horfan. Have you tried? We can share it."

"Anything you say, love." Zen smiled a bit, thankful that she was taking the lead. But her exposed neck told Jumin all that he needed to know.

"What," the Director began, "The hell did you do to Arisa's neck?"

The small band-aid that she used to cover her bruising kiss-mark was evident, even under the leather jacket she wore, and her long curls.

"O-Oh, um…" she stammered a bit, a flush rising to her cheeks, "I-It's nothing, just-"

But before she could even defend herself, Jumin had leaned over and snapped the band-aid from her neck, and before her hand could cover it, the young business man restrained a gasp at what it was: of course, it was a love mark. It was not just Arisa who flushed now, and even the young actor who sat next to her turned bright red.

Jumin sat down slowly, expression unreadable.

"You two are going to tell me," he started to say, massaging his temples, "That you two were an hour late... because you were having a go at it?"

Needless to say, Jumin Han was displeased.

* * *

When they returned to the apartment they shared, Arisa was quiet. Jumin had spoken with Zen about how he had "been treating their precious girl unsatisfactorily" and he hadn't spoken about it. He didn't even push his back closer to her on the motorbike, which told her that he was bothered.

"Zen."

She said his name slowly, but he was absent-mindedly pouring ingredients into their coffee-maker. Arisa stood, then neared him, "Hyun."

He turned to her slowly, his face almost disappointed, "I… I can't do anything right for you, now, can I?" he asked.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, brows furrowed and taking his hand.

Despite what the rest of RFA knew, Zen was a rather fragile person at the core. She was sure that Jumin said something that had struck him hard.

"I… I was too rough on you today – no, don't say anything, not even if you liked it." He said before she attempted to override his words, "I…I can't hold back when it comes to you, my jealousy, rage… My priorities become blurred and all I just want is anything and everything related to you. And he's right, I'm an actor. I don't have the money, the resources to give you everything you deserve in life, even if I wanted to. Arisa you're… you're so amazing, and talented. You create light where there is none. Why did you even choose me?"

She sighed, then gently led him to the couch, "Don't you already know the answer to that?" He looked at her, and she gently ran a hand through his silver hair, "You're the perfect match for me." She said, "I'd do anything for you. You… You're my guardian angel, my knight, you were brave enough to protect me… All I want is to be able to hold you close and be your light too."

He hesitated, then looked at her, "Arisa," he said her name like it was the most delicate thing in the world, "Do you think it will be okay? Tell me… Tell me it will be okay."

"It will be okay, my love." And he smiled softly, leaning in to kiss her.

When they pulled away, she chuckled.

"Zen… _Have you been this worried because I had a pregnancy scare two nights ago_?"

* * *

 **A/N:** This will most probably be followed by Jumin, 707 or V. I am annoyed by Yoosung at the moment, though, since I enjoyed 707's Christmas Episode, there may or may not be some smut/softcore of that coming up. If you're more interested in some of _that_ , let me know.


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